Gerry Ryan's wife and kids may lose their home over his drug use

A possible 'death by misadventure' verdict could see the wife and children of late Irish broadcaster Gerry Ryan evicted from their family home.

Following the findings of Friday’s inquest into radio star's death - which discovered traces of cocaine in the late broadcaster’s body - the situation for his wife and children has darkened.

Ryan and his wife Morah reportedly mortgaged their five-bedroom home in Dublin on a number of occasions prior to their separation, with Ryan's income and mortgage repayments guaranteed by his life assurance scheme.

But now Ryan’s life assurance policy could refuse to cover his mortgage given the 'death by misadventure' verdict reached by Friday’s inquest.

If the mortgage is no loner covered it's believed that Morah and the couple’s five children will have no option but to leave the house.

The Irish press reported that Ryan’s colleagues were aware of his regular cocaine use, including the times when he had taken the drug at work, claiming he needed it to help him through his nationally broadcast morning radio show.

Meanwhile the press is claiming that Melanie Verwoerd, Ryan’s partner at the time of his death, was completely unaware of his drug use.